IRELAND HEAD COACH Andy Farrell has named a 37-man squad for next month’s November internationals.
Leinster pair Hugo Keenan and Jamison Gibson-Park are both included despite having yet to play any minutes this season due to injury.
However winger James Lowe misses out as he continues to work his way back from a calf problem. Ulster’s Iain Henderson – another player yet to get up and running this season – is a notable absentee, as are Munster pair Keith Earls and Andrew Conway.
Ireland open their Autumn calendar with a 5 November clash against the world champions Springboks at the Aviva Stadium, before welcoming Fiji and Australia to Dublin on 12 and 19 November respectively.
An Ireland A side will also play a New Zealand XV at the RDS on 4 November, and Farrell has selected an additional 12-player panel for this fixture. The Ireland A players will join the main group following round seven of the United Rugby Championship.
Introducing your Ireland squad for the upcoming @bankofireland Nations Series at Aviva Stadium! 💪
— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) October 19, 2022
Head Coach Andy Farrell has also named an additional panel of players for the Ireland 'A' fixture against the All Blacks XV ⬇️#TeamOfUs | #IrishRugby
With Connacht’s Bundee Aki suspended for the games against Fiji and Australia, Farrell has named just three centres in his squad, with Ulster’s Stuart McCloskey rewarded for his fine form with a first call up since last year’s November internationals.
His provincial teammate Jacob Stockdale is also included despite being sidelined with an ankle injury since in the round three URC defeat to Leinster. Stockdale was last capped for Ireland in July 2021, missing a year out with injury before making his return to action last month.
Munster pair Tadhg Beirne and Craig Casey are also included despite picking up groin injuries during Munster’s win over the Bulls last weekend.
James Ryan and Josh van der Flier also make the cut after picking up injuries in Leinster’s win against Connacht last Friday.
Farrell has included six uncapped players in his squad, with Ciarán Frawley, Jeremy Loughman, Joe McCarthy, Calvin Nash, Jimmy O’Brien and Cian Prendergast all hoping to win their first caps at Test level.
Frawley, Loughman, McCarthy, O’Brien and Prendergast all featured for the Ireland XV side that played the Maori All Blacks during the summer tour of New Zealand, while Prendergast, McCarthy, Baloucoune and Nash were part of the Emerging Ireland squad which recently took in a three-game trip to South Africa.
Frawley will hope to get minutes at out-half alongside Sexton and Joey Carbery after missing the Emerging Ireland tour with injury.
Caolin Blade, Marty Moore and Dave Kilcoyne are the senior players in a youthful A panel, which also includes highly-rated Munster pair Tom Ahern and Jack Crowley, who both starred on the recent Emerging Ireland tour, and Ulster centre James Hume – who featured twice off the bench for Ireland in last season’s Six Nations.
There is no place in either squad for Ulster scrum-half Nathan Doak – another player who impressed with Emerging Ireland – or Munster out-half Ben Healy.
The Ireland squad are due to assemble at their Carton House base next week following this weekend’s URC fixtures – which includes a Leinster v Munster interpro derby at Aviva Stadium.
Ireland head into the November Test window as the top-ranked side in the world on the back of their historic summer tour to New Zealand.
The IRFU have also announced Bank of Ireland as the title sponsor for Ireland’s November fixtures.
Ireland squad:
Robert Baloucoune (Ulster) 2 caps
Joey Carbery (Munster) 35 caps
Craig Casey (Munster) 5 caps
Ciarán Frawley (Leinster) uncapped
Jamison Gibson Park (Leinster) 20 caps
Mack Hansen (Connacht) 6 caps
Robbie Henshaw (Leinster) 60 caps
Hugo Keenan (Leinster) 23 caps
Michael Lowry (Ulster) 1 cap
Conor Murray (Munster) 99 caps
Stuart McCloskey (Ulster) 6 caps
Calvin Nash (Munster) uncapped
Jimmy O’Brien (Leinster) uncapped
Garry Ringrose (Leinster) 44 caps
Johnny Sexton (Leinster) 108 caps – captain
Jacob Stockdale (Ulster) 35 caps
Forwards (21)
Ryan Baird (Leinster) 8 caps
Finlay Bealham (Connacht) 25 caps
Tadhg Beirne (Munster) 33 caps
Jack Conan (Leinster) 30 caps
Gavin Coombes (Munster) 2 caps
Caelan Doris (Leinster) 20 caps
Tadhg Furlong (Leinster) 60 caps
Dave Heffernan (Connacht) 7 caps
Cian Healy (Leinster) 118 caps
Rob Herring (Ulster) 28 caps
Jeremy Loughman (Munster) uncapped
Joe McCarthy (Leinster) uncapped
Peter O’Mahony (Munster) 87 caps
Tom O’Toole (Ulster) 3 caps
Andrew Porter (Leinster) 46 caps
Cian Prendergast (Connacht) uncapped
James Ryan (Leinster) 46 caps
Dan Sheehan (Leinster) 10 caps
Nick Timoney (Ulster) 2 caps
Kieran Treadwell (Ulster) 8 caps
Josh van der Flier (Leinster) 43 caps
Ireland ‘A’ Panel:
Tom Ahern (Munster)
Diarmuid Barron (Munster)
Caolin Blade (Connacht) 1 cap
Jack Crowley (Munster)
Shane Daly (Munster) 2 caps
Max Deegan (Leinster) 1 cap
James Hume (Ulster) 3 caps
Dave Kilcoyne (Munster) 48 caps
Marty Moore (Ulster) 10 caps
Jamie Osbourne (Leinster)
Scott Penny (Leinster)
Roman Salanoa (Munster)
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